Sectional platform or support for use with scaffolding



NSHENKEL a PPORT FOR USE F I Feb. 28, 1967 E. BRUME SECTIONAL PLATFORM 0WITH SCAF Filed May INVIiN'I'UR. ELMER L.BRUMENSHENKEL ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 3,306,397 SECTIONAL PLATFORM 0R SUPPORT FOR USE WITHSCAFFOLDING Elmer L. Brumenshenkel, RR. 8, Lexington, Ohio 44904 FiledMay 24, 1965, Ser. No. 458,276 3 Claims. (Cl. 182-223) This inventionrelates to scaffolding used in wall or building construction or repairand more particularly is an improvement in sectional platforms for usewith scaffolding as a support forbricks, tile, block or the like an as awalkway or platform for the worker.

An object of the invention is to provide a relatively light, sturdy,durable and inexpensive sectional platform or support which can easilybe assembled on location for use with conventional scaffolding, such astubular steel scaffolding, to provide a support for materials andworkment in wall construction.

Another object is a sectional platform having, when assembled, a highsafety factor.

A further object is a device of the type disclosed in which theassembled sections provide a support or platform satisfactorilyresistant to torsional strains and stresses and which is rigid underload.

Still another object of this invention is a platform or support of thecharacter described which consists in a plurality of unit sections, eachof which is adapted to be quickly and easily coupled and assembledtogether in end-to-end relation with an adjacent section.

Still another object is to provide a sectional support of the typedisclosed in which the sections are provided with side rails underlyinga supporting surface and in which the ends of the side rails extendbeyond each end of the supporting surface and wherein one of the railsof the respective. sections defines one longitudinal side edge ordimension of the supporting surface, and the other rail is offsetinwardly of the opposite longitudinal side edge or dimension of thesupporting surface sufficiently to receive an extended rail end of anadjacent assembled section in side-by-side overlying relation.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description and claims, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters areemployed to designate like parts throughout the same. Other embodimentsof the invention employing equivalent principles may be applied by thoseskilled in the art, and structural changes may be made as desiredwithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE lis a perspective view partly broken away illustrating aconventional tubular met-a1 scaffolding upon which the sectional supportconstituting my invention is assembled in use;

FIGURE 2 shows the ends of two adjacent sections in position forassembly along a longitudinal axis;

FIGURE 3 illustrates the manner of bringing the ends of the adjacentsections into position for securing them together;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 showingthe interfitting ends of adjacent sections assembled for support on thecross rail of a scaffolding section;

FIGURE 5 is an end view of two of the platform sections shown nestedtogether for storage; and

FIGURE 6 is a bottom view in perspective of the assembled ends ofadjacent sections.

In carrying out my invention, as illustrated in the embodiment shown inthe drawing, I provide a sectional platform or support adapted to beused in conjunction with conventional scaffolding such as tubular steelframes indicated generally at 1, and having horizontally disposedsupporting members 2 arranged at spaced intervals along the course ofthe scaffolding.

By virtue of my invention, each platform section is substantiallyidentical and they are so constructed that they may easily be nested forstacking in storage or for transportation. Each section includes a pairof laterally spaced apart longitudinal side rails 3 and 4 substantiallyparallel to one another. These rails preferably are formed of tubular orhollow metal stock, such as aluminum, and terminate at their ends intapered nose portions 5, preferably closing the hollow tube ends to sealout moisture or foreign matter.

Cross tie plates piefer-ably of metal are welded or otherwisepermanently secured at their end portions, as at 7, to the respectiverails 3 and 4 adjacent the ends of the rails, but are positionedsufficiently inwardly of the rail ends to provide extended supportingsurfaces 8 for the cross ties or lateral plates 6 of adjacent sectionends as the sections are assembled, as shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 6.

Panels 9 providing supporting means for the workman and his tradematerial, such as block, brick, stone or the like, are preferably madeof suitable, economical, light sheet material, such as plywood, of athickness to provide adequate load supporting strength. These panels aresecured to the side rails 3 and 4 by means of screws or bolts 10. It isto be noted that the longitudinal rails lie below and have their outerside walls substantially flush with one of the longitudinal side edgesof the panels 9, while the rails 4 lie below the opposite side edge ofthepanels 9 and are set back or indented from the edge approximately adistance equal to the side of the rail 3 so that when adjacent sectionsare assembled, as clearly shown in FIGURE 6, the end portions of therails 3 and 4 on each side of the respective panels will overlie oneanother longitudinally and will afford adequate support for the crosstie plates 6 and the panels 9, particularly in the junction area.

The extended end portions of the rails 3 and 4 are each apertured at 11,while the cross tie plates 6 are apertured at 12 in such manner andlocation that the respective openings 11 and 12 will be in properalignment to receive the removable headed pins 13 which are ofsufficient length that they will be disposed downwardly through thesealigned openings and on each side of the horizontal supporting members 2of the scaffolding unit, as shown in FIGURE 4.

From this arrangement, it will be evident that the adjacent panels arelocked against longitudinal movement with respect to the scaffolding andthat torsional stresses and strains, due to non-uniformity of loaddistribution, will be resisted in use.

From the above, it will also be seen that the platform sections caneasily and quickly be assembled on scaffolding of the type illustratedto provide a continuous supporting surface along assembled sections,which is safe and which will provide adequate support for the workmanand his work materials. It will also be noted that the supportingsurface is free of obstructions when the sections are assembled togetherin the manner illustrated and that these sections can also be easilydisassembled, nested and stacked for storage or transportation inmultiples, as indicated in FIGURE 5.

It is to be understood from the foregoing description and accompanyingdrawing that the sectional platform or support of the present inventionis not to be regarded as limited by the above described embodiment. Itwill be apparent therefore to those skilled in the art that otheralternative arrangements of parts, substitution of materials and otherorganization and assembly procedures may be employed without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the invention claimed.

I claim:

1. A load supporting platform for use with scaffolding and adapted to beremovably carried thereon, said scaffolding having horizontally disposedplatform supporting members arranged at spaced intervals therealong,said platform comprising a plurality of sections for arrangement inend-to-end relation, said sections having a pair of substantiallyparallel longitudinally disposed side rails, a cross tie plate securedto and connecting each of said side rails adjacent their end portions,and a load supporting panel secured on said side rails and between thetie plates at the end of each respective section, one of the side railsof each section lying substantially flush with a longitudinal edge ofsaid panel with at least one end extended beyond and underlying one ofthe tie plates and laterally overlying an end of an adjacent sectionwhen said sections are assembled in end-to-end relation, the other ofsaid side rails of each section lying inwardly of the oppositelongitudinal edge of said panel a distance sufficient to receivelaterally thereof an extended adjacent end of a rail of said adjacentsection, and means for securing the sections in end-to-end relation,said means comprising elongate fastener members removably engaging therespective adjacent overlying end portions of said cross ties and saidside rails and disposed to engage both sides of a horizontal platformsupporting member when assembled on said scaffold, thereby preventingmovement and disalignment of adjacent platform sections assembled onsaid scaffold.

2. A load supporting platform according to claim 1 wherein relativeendwise movement of adjacent platform sections is prevented in use.

3. A load supporting platform for us with scaffolding and adapted to beremovably carried thereon, said scaffolding having horizontally disposedplatform supporting members arranged at spaced intervals therealong,said platform comprising a plurality of sections for arrangement inend-to-end relation, said sections having a pair of substantiallyparallel longitudinally disposed side rails, a cross tie plate securedto and connecting each of said side rails adjacent their end portions,and a load supporting panel secured on said side rails and between thetie plates at the end of each respective section, one of the side railsof each section lying substantially flush with a longitudinal edge ofsaid panel with at least one end extended beyond and underlying one ofthe tie plates and laterally overlying an end of an adjacent sectionwhen said sections are assembled in end-to-end relation, the other ofsaid side rails of each section lying inwardly of the oppositelongitudinal edge of said panel a distance sufiicient to receivelaterally thereof an extended adjacent end of a rail of said adjacentsection, and means for securing the sections in end-to-end relation, theend portions of said side rails and said cross tie plates having alignedopenings therethrough when adjacent sections are in end-to-end assembledposition, and headed elongate fastening members removably insertable insaid aligned openings and adapted to engage both sides of an adjacenthorizontal platform supporting member of the scaffold for maintainingalignment and preventing relative endwise movement of adjacent sectionsin use.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,718,885 6/1929Williams 182-121 2,261,831 11/1941 Farr 182-223 2,485,165 10/1949Pollman 182-223 2,738,832 3/1956 Torkelson 182-222 FOREIGN PATENTS593,770 3/1960 Canada.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

1. A LOAD SUPPORTING PLATFORM FOR USE WITH SCAFFOLDING AND ADAPTED TO BEREMOVABLY CARRIED THEREON, SAID SCAFFOLDING HAVING HORIZONTALLY DISPOSEDPLATFORM SUPPORTING MEMBERS ARRANGED AT SPACED INTERVALS THEREALONG,SAID PLATFORM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS FOR ARRANGEMENT INEND-TO-END RELATION, SAID SECTIONS HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED SIDE RAILS, A CROSS TIE PLATE SECUREDTO AND CONNECTING EACH OF SAID SIDE RAILS ADJACENT THEIR END PORTIONS,AND A LOAD SUPPORTING PANEL SECURED ON SAID SIDE RAILS AND BETWEEN THETIE PLATES AT THE END OF EACH RESPECTIVE SECTION, ONE OF THE SIDE RAILSOF EACH SECTION LYING SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH A LONGITUDINAL EDGE OFSAID PANEL WITH AT LEAST ONE END EXTENDED BEYOND AND UNDERLYING ONE OFTHE TIE PLATES AND LATERALLY OVERLYING AN END OF AN ADJACENT SECTIONWHEN SAID SECTIONS ARE ASSEMBLED IN END-TO-END RELATION, THE OTHER OFSAID SIDE RAILS OF EACH SECTION LYING INWARDLY OF THE OPPOSITELONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID PANEL A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO RECEIVELATERALLY THEREOF AN EXTENDED ADJACENT END OF A RAIL OF SAID ADJACENTSECTION, AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE SECTIONS IN END-TO-END RELATION,SAID MEANS COMPRISING ELONGATE FASTENER MEMBERS REMOVABLY ENGAGING THERESPECTIVE ADJACENT OVERLYING END PORTIONS OF SAID CROSS TIES AND SAIDSIDE RAILS AND DISPOSED TO ENGAGE BOTH SIDES OF A HORIZONTAL PLATFORMSUPPORTING MEMBER WHEN ASSEMBLED ON SAID SCAFFOLD, THEREBY PREVENTINGMOVEMENT AND DISALIGNMENT OF ADJACENT PLATFORM SECTIONS ASSEMBLED ONSAID SCAFFOLD.